Brilliant ads that really make you think

For us in the Western World, our lives have turned into an advertiser’s dream. There are advertisements everywhere! From the apps on our phones to television and radio, it is simply impossible to avoid some company or brand pushing a product. And to be quite honest with you, it kind of gets a little bit boring after a while to see the same basic ad for toilet paper or a fast food restaurant. It is for this reason that ads have by and large become just white noise that we do not really pay attention to anymore.

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However, the geniuses at advertising agencies all over have begun to notice this. So what can they do? Well, good thing these ad executives and their creative teams are the geniuses that they are, as they have been creating advertisements lately which we can not help but pay attention to. The ads they have created are not only eye catching, but beautiful and even thought provoking.

We found some of the best advertisement campaigns from all around the world to show you how creative these ads can truly be. And wow, are we impressed with what we found. Hopefully these campaigns will come to a city near you as well.

Have a break

There are some companies in this world whose slogans have since become a part of everyday life, and they’ve just kinda stuck. Thanks to Nike we know to “Just do it.” Thanks to Skittles we always have an urge to “Taste the Rainbow” – and thanks to McDonald’s, we know that there’s a chance that we will have the urge to scream “I’m lovin’ it” when eating one of their Big Mac burgers. It just works. Want to know what else works? The slogan for the almighty candy bar, the legendary Kit Kat. While we all know that to eat a KitKat we have to “Have a break,” this advertisements gives us that chance.

Get them off

As you walk across a train station concourse or through a shopping mall, there’s a high chance that you don’t really look at what is lying beneath your feet. It’s only when you take to the skies – okay, the upper levels – that you realize you were standing on top of an advertisement all along, and that you were a part of it! In this instance, this advertisement was aimed at those with pets. Using real-life people to become a part of an advertisement, companies can draw attention to what they have achieved. It’s like a flash-mob… the more you try to look away, the more you’re completely engrossed in their singing and dancing.

Break glass for money

No matter where you go in the world, you will always be greeted by a bus station or an advertising board that has been smashed to pieces. Indeed, for some reason people just luuuuurve to smash these things up. We can only imagine the surprise when visitors and locals got a chance to see this brand new addition to their town. Despite the fact that it had thousands of dollars inside of the glass, not one person had managed to break it to retrieve the goodies inside. Now that is the perfect advertisement for security glass if we ever did see one.

A new addition

If you live in a big city, you probably live your life on the subway or the train – but there’s little chance of you ever getting a seat. After all, it’s prime travel time, and it seems like the world, and his dog travels at the same time as you. Because of this, you probably have to hook your hands through the rails to make it to work without falling into everyone and breaking a hip. This watch company decided to make use of this new addition to people’s’ wrists, by enticing them to buy another new addition to their wrists. Well, we’re sold!

Grab a Kleenex

Let’s be honest; we have all had days where personal hygiene hasn’t come at the top of our list of priorities. Sure, we know to have a shower in the morning, but when life gets in the way, and your boss bombards you with 20 presentations to finish before the end of the day – you don’t always have the chance to run to the bathroom and clean your hands every time you have a sneeze. Because of this, Kleenex came up with this genius advertisement that will make you think twice when you do go atchoo in your hands. After all, that soap looks suspiciously like something else.

It’s easier

There are some advertisements that make you stop and stare, and there are others that really make you think and make a difference in your life – and this is one of them. Rather than simply telling people the risks of cancer once again, this company decided to actually do something about it. Their empty words were replaced by an opportunity to actually help people reduce the risk of cancer. By offering people free sunscreen, they are not only protecting people from the sun but also getting people engaged with their advertisements. It’s a double whammy.

My family need money

When you walk through your local town or city, you probably pass homeless people with their own homemade signs and their hats full of loose change – and whether you offer them money, a free meal or you completely ignore them, it’s fair to say that these cardboard signs have a real impact on us. Because of this, this environmental agency decided to bring attention to the fact that we often ignore those that we shouldn’t… like the rainforests. Just because we’re sheltered by what is actually happening with other people in other countries, that doesn’t mean we should ignore it.

Be patient

Sometimes, it’s the simplest of advertisements that hit us the hardest – and this smart ad is one of those. When you look at this simple advert from afar, it just looks like a bunch of words thrust onto a billboard. Yet, when you look closer, you start to realize that it’s actually a stroke of genius. By creating three mini-boards within one big billboard, this company has been able to address the issue of those with stutters in a fun way that all of us can connect with. Indeed, an advert doesn’t have to be fancy schmancy all the time, you know!

Fancy a trip?

Have you ever sat on a bench in the subway station and suddenly thought… man, I could really do with a skiing trip right now? Yes, us too! This is because many companies use benches to their advantages. We all use them, we all walk past them, and we all see them every single day of our lives – so why not? By transforming this bench into a ski lift with a snowy mountainscape behind it, we can imagine everyone would have suddenly come down with the travel bug and the need for skiing speed. We certainly have it. Anyone fancy a trip?

We can explain

When you first looked at this billboard, there was a high chance that you thought Spider-Man had just had a really rough day and had decided to die his web solution for the heck of it. However, as you read the advertisements further, you’ll see that the random string is actually 121 feet of hair – because apparently we grow that much hair every single day! Of course, we’re both repulsed and intrigued by this fact and immediately want to know more. We can only imagine that this website had thousands of people wanting them to explain, which means their traffic numbers went through the roof…

Save the planet

Every day, we are overwhelmed by advertisements and companies telling us to save the world one paper towel or one plastic straw at a time. Yet, with so many people telling us the same thing, it can often be easy to zone all of their efforts out of our mind and simply ignore their efforts. Nevertheless, the WWF decided to create an advertisement that we could all engage with on a daily basis – because who wants to see South America deplete before their very eyes? Not us, which is why we won’t be using paper towels anymore!

I’m lovin’ it

No matter where you go in the world, it’s easy to determine where the crosswalk is – because the crosswalk stripes are universally accessible. McDonald’s decided to take advantage of these rectangular lines and use them for their own initiative in this city, because they always need more customers, right? By turning the crosswalk lines into fries, McDonald’s could display their iconic arches in humungous form right in the middle of this busy street as they edge closer to world domination. Well, we’re not complaining. In fact, you could say that we’re lovin’ it…

Just run it

There are some major companies in our lives that do more than simply sell clothes or sneakers, and Nike is one of those companies. While it is their primary objective to sell their products, Nike uses their advertising to promote healthy living and exercise as a whole – and sometimes all they have to do is add a little tick to their advertisements. In this case, Nike decided to deface a perfectly good park bench for their own motive, and it’s actually kind of genius. What do you do if you can’t sit down on a park bench? You run and just do it!

A trip to the zoo

National attractions normally don’t need advertising to entice customers and visitors into their doors, but that doesn’t stop them from pulling out all of the stops to get everyone talking about them. In this case, Copenhagen Zoo decided that they wanted to showcase what they had to offer to the people of Copenhagen. While this might have scared a lot of the people walking down the sidewalk, you can’t deny that this is one smart ad that would get everyone stopping and staring. Although we can’t say we would want to set foot on that bus…

Mmmm, donuts

When a brand new movie comes out, it’s fair to say that their marketing teams go wild. They slather trailers across all of our TV and computer screens, they shove posters in our face everywhere we go, and they even put radio adverts into our airwaves. However, there are some teams that go above and beyond when it comes to movie marketing – and this marketing ploy for The Simpsons Movie takes the donut. Quite literally. Of course, we all know that Homer loves donuts, but watching them go into his mouth as you go down an escalator is downright genius.

Brusha, brusha, brusha

We all know that we should brush our teeth at least twice a day, but how many of you really do brush properly? Well, we don’t blame you if you don’t. We all live busy lives. We get that. However, it’s always good to have a gentle reminder for us to brush our teeth every once in a while, and we think Braun have got their marketing plans nailed. While they could use their adverts on billboards or posters, they decided to incorporate their famous brush into the picture, and use it on something a little more unorthodox. It totally works, though.

You can’t let go

If you think of all of the pasta adverts you’ve ever seen, there’s a high chance that you probably don’t remember a lot of them – because they all feature the same generic concepts that don’t really mean anything to you. Yet, this company decided to do things a little differently when they decided to advertise their pasta on a boat. Although it is a little strange, it’s actually a genius way to advertise the spaghetti goodness. After all, we all know that pasta is so good you can’t let go!

Feeding the hungry

Nowadays, we can’t turn on the news without hearing about famine and poverty in other countries – but because we’re so used to hearing it and seeing it on our screens, we almost tune it out of our lives. For some people, if it’s not right in front of them, it’s easy to think it won’t affect them. However, many companies and charities are now trying to put these problems right in front of us, especially when we go to buy things in excess. Indeed, as you buy more and more food for you and your family, this company wants you to think of those who don’t have as much, and see if you can help them in return.

Free coffee

Let’s be honest, most of us can’t go a day without having a coffee in the morning to wake us up, and instead of simply making our own at home, we often take a trip across town to the nearest fast food joint or cafe to buy a cup. Yet, with so many places to choose from to buy coffee, companies are now fighting it out to get the most customers through their door. In this battle, it’s safe to say that McDonald’s win the award for the most unique advertisement. You could see this one from a mile away!

Strong teeth

Getting people involved in a smart advertisement is one of the best ways to showcase what it has to say and what the product is all about – which is why this advertisement for toothpaste is so perfect! Posted right on top of a vending machine that sells bottled sugary drinks, this advert has the ability not only to get people thinking about their teeth and the health of their mouth; it also has the ability to pull off their bottle cap. This way, you can have your cake – or your sugary drink – and eat it at the same time.